QPR’s defensive shortcomings were exposed again as they were dismantled by the Championship’s bottom side.
Luke Amos scored twice for Rangers – his first goals for the club – at Oakwell, where Conor Chaplin scored a hat-trick and former Fulham striker Cauley Woodrow netted from the penalty spot before Bamo Diaby got Barnsley’s fifth.
Illias Chair pulled one back in the final seconds with his first Championship goal.
Having kept back-to-back clean sheets – their first shutouts of the season – Rangers displayed the kind of woeful defending that has marred their season.
They went behind after just seven minutes when Jacob Brown was able to set up Chaplin for a simple near-post finish.
Amos quickly brought them level by following up to score after Jordan Hugill’s shot had come back off the post.
But they were behind again by the 18-minute mark, Chaplin blasting in after Rangers failed to deal with a corner.
Worse followed for the visitors early in the second half when Chaplin completed his hat-trick by slotting home the loose ball after Brown’s effort had been saved by keeper Joe Lumley.
Again QPR responded, this time when Ryan Manning pulled the ball back from the left and on-loan Tottenham youngster Amos finished emphatically.
But as Rangers pushed forward in search of an equaliser, they were caught on the counter-attack just before the hour mark after Bright Osayi-Samuel lost possession while trying to link up with Manning on the left.
Barnsley broke and Geoff Cameron fouled Woodrow, who calmly tucked away the resulting spot-kick.
Even at 4-2, Rangers had chances to get back into the game.
Osayi-Samuel blasted high and wide after being set up by substitute Nahki Wells, who then set up Ebere Eze, who looked certain to score but was somehow denied by keeper Samuel Radlinger.
And Chair, also on as a substitute, fired against the bar before yet more dire defending led to another Barnsley goal late on.
Rangers totally switched off at a set-piece again and defender Diaby was able to nudge in Brown’s cross from close range.
Chair’s goal, created by Osayi-Samuel was scant consolation for the R’s.
This post was last modified on 17/12/2019